Do we just want cheap or would we pay for quality?

[ghostrider1971]

I was looking at the amazing creation from @windows earlier......and then thinking about how much stuff we buy cheap and cheerful from China.

Do you think there is a market for a higher quality (but still "mass" produced?) mod manufacturer from the UK/Europe or are we now programmed to expect the latest piece of kit, delivered free from China, for a relatively low price? Is most vape kit so disposable now that we pay £30 and expect it to last for 9-12 months and then buy the next new gadget?

Take an RX200, for example - nice piece of kit (so I understand). Can be delivered from China for c.£30? If a similar piece of kit was made in the UK (perhaps easier to return or sort out problems if issues arise?) would people pay £60-80 for a similar product but "Made in Great Britain"?

I'm sure many of us have bought a gadget from Fast Tech and the like as it was cheap and then it's arrived, not been great and have tossed it in a corner to gather dust.....

But it was cheap....

[dalealan]

They couldn't hope to compete against the China market as they chuck things out by the crate load. Think there's a few peeps on here appreciate the higher end stuff glen I'm looking at you but I've never seen it as an investment so the cheap cheerful stuff does for me. I had a cuboid pinched once and I was inconsolable for a month and it only cost about 20 quid if someone in GB released something they'd only clone the bugger hah

[tsoko]

I am lucky to have a @windows mod and it is so much better than the mass produced mods about, saying that I still use them all the time and the windows mod is my special treat mod and will never leave my house.

[ghostrider1971]

dalealan - I agree the UK couldn't compete on price, but do you think people would pay for a "made in the UK" stamp rather than buying from China (or buying a clone) if they were getting a quality product albeit more expensive?

[Greg]

I think if you buy authentic from FT then you're buying exactly the same item as you'd buy in the UK only cheaper. So it's not only cheap it's quality too.

If you buy styled then you take chance IMO.

Having said all that I do like a Provari or three

[glen]

Sept 5, 2016 18:31:55 GMT dalealan said:

They couldn't hope to compete against the China market as they chuck things out by the crate load. Think there's a few peeps on here appreciate the higher end stuff glen I'm looking at you but I've never seen it as an investment so the cheap cheerful stuff does for me. I had a cuboid pinched once and I was inconsolable for a month and it only cost about 20 quid if someone in GB released something they'd only clone the bugger hah

Guilty as charged lol

[Perpetua]

I think there's a market for both isn't there . . . . much like any other consumer commodity we buy?

When myself and others first started vaping, China was just really getting going in equipment terms - so the choice was pretty much made for us if we wanted to use anything other than a cigalike.

So what is probably considered a niche market now, was actually mainstream to us!

GG ( Golden Greek ), Provape are just a couple of names whose devices we went mad for and waited months in some cases for them to be available. I remember paying £175 for a Evolv Darwin ( which I still have and use ) . . . . and a Screwdriver from Trog, was a shade under £100.00.

Would I spend that sort of money now, no I wouldn't having been there and done it once . . . . as equipment has become less costly, it's made it vaping so much more affordable for people to try and experiment with - an aspect which I've very much appreciated and enjoyed myself.

But I still believe there are customers for all markets - whether the numbers make it profitable is another issue of course . . . . .

[dalealan]

Sept 5, 2016 18:37:50 GMT ghostrider1971 said:

dalealan - I agree the UK couldn't compete on price, but do you think people would pay for a "made in the UK" stamp rather than buying from China (or buying a clone) if they were getting a quality product albeit more expensive?

Hmm not sure. I know I wouldn't as Its not a priority I'm more interested in the bang for the buck. I was amazed at the price of certain stuff with the made in America stamp.  If we had made in GB stuff they'd probably source the chips from overseas anywho. Then again some high end mech mods I thought were exorbitant for a bit of tubing with a thread on. Yip I'm a philistine hah

[Lee]

No point in expensive UK made, look how long it took China to clone the Rose V3

Kayfun, not UK made, but still 1:1 clones from China

[unclegromit]

Sept 5, 2016 19:03:06 GMT dalealan said:

Sept 5, 2016 18:37:50 GMT ghostrider1971 said:

dalealan - I agree the UK couldn't compete on price, but do you think people would pay for a "made in the UK" stamp rather than buying from China (or buying a clone) if they were getting a quality product albeit more expensive?

Hmm not sure. I know I wouldn't as Its not a priority I'm more interested in the bang for the buck. I was amazed at the price of certain stuff with the made in America stamp.  If we had made in GB stuff they'd probably source the chips from overseas anywho. Then again some high end mech mods I thought were exorbitant for a bit of tubing with a thread on. Yip I'm a philistine hah

I've still got, what I consider to be, a high end mech mod (Satmod 18350)

The quality is flawless, but came at a price.

Would I buy another? Probably not.

Is there still a market for such items now? I doubt it.

China can knock out pretty much anything we need and desire for a lot less than anyone else.

As with most purchases people generally vote with their pocket.

[sydsut]

I think that the OP means "Mass Produced" in the UK as against the "Mass Produced" from China. There's plenty of room for makers of small quantity Mods and Atties at high prices in the UK. But I don't think we will see large scale production of equipment in this country. No way could we compete as it would be twice or more the cost of Chinese manufacturing. The Chinese pay low wages, don't have Health and Safety laws as we do and are content with lower profit margins.

[Deleted]

I find it incredible that the evolv DNA 75 board is 40 quid or thereabouts on uk sites yet you can buy a mod equipped the said same board from China for £37.50.
Impossible for uk manufacturers to compete

[phtumshk]

If it aint cheap it would have to be Greek.
The best vape gear comes out of greece IMO.

[Chrissie]

Same as Perpetua - I also think there is a market for both.

I've got some early GG mods that where worth every penny I paid for them. Admittedly, I don't use them any more, but could never sell them. In contrast, the Screwdriver I bought (first mod) at just under £100 was so not worth it.

[drunkenbum]

The eu and uk mod makers tend to stick with the high end stuff as they would never compete with the Chinese. I like my hand made gear but still buy cheap Chinese crap for day to day use. My favourite mod was made in Serbia and it wasn't at all cheap but quality wise it knocks the socks off anything that comes out of china